Speedster - March 2022

[Peter Gariepy]

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here to view it online.   ‌   March 2022 | Volume 159      Upcoming Events Visit the calendar on our website for a listing of AACA National events, local Region & Chapter events and much more!    AACA National Staff   CEO Steve Moskowitz   Membership & Merchandise Karen White   Accounting, IT & Website Pat Buckley   Advertising & Marketing Speedster Editor Stacy Zimmerman   Antique AutomobileMagazine Editor West Peterson   Office Administration Lori Shetter - membership/merchandise Susan Eitnier - regions & chapters, insurance Jon Curtis - awards   Library & Research Center Chris Ritter - Director Matthew Hocker Amoi Goldman   QUICK LINKS: AACA Website AACA Library AACA Forums AACA Merchandise AACA Judging Guidelines   NEW AACA National Headquarters address: 800 W. Hersheypark Dr. Hershey, PA 17033 Join Our Mailing List   Volunteer Appreciation By Stacy Zimmerman, Speedster Editor, szimmerman@aaca.org   As I was trying to decide what to write my opening article on this month, I was reminded that April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month. This is a whole month dedicated to recognizing the importance of volunteering and honoring the significant contributions volunteers make to your organization. I thought… well, this is definitely something we should be celebrating!   AACA would not be the successful organization it is today without all of our volunteers. From the AACA National Board of Directors to those of you who host National shows and tours every year to the ones who show up to the AACA Library each week to the leaders of your local regions and chapters, all of you do your part to lift this club up. From all of you who participate in the judging program to region webmasters and newsletter editors to social media and forum moderators to convention speakers, every single one of you makes a difference for this club. Even those of you who go out to cruise-ins and other car shows and talk up AACA and tell people they should join; you are all volunteer ambassadors for the club.   If you really think about it, other than the staff of 8 that work at National Headquarters and the 3 Library staff everyone else that “works” on behalf of AACA is a volunteer. We are almost an entirely volunteer-driven organization. Every single volunteer and the job they perform is vital to our club’s success today and in the future. You are what makes this club run.   To make a car analogy… all of you wonderful volunteers make up every little piece of the engine, while the paid staff represent the wheels – you are the source of power, the staff just keeps things moving in the right direction.   A million thank yous could never be enough to show the sincere appreciation for the years of dedication many of you have given to AACA. The true spirit of volunteerism shines in each of you every time you say yes to a request to help AACA.   Winter Nationals Results   THANK YOU to all of the volunteers, judges, staff, property staff, AACA Board and all of our wonderful members who participated in the show in Melbourne, FL!    SPECIAL THANKS to our gracious hosts Mark and Tetiana Pieloch  from the American Muscle Car Museum.   And a BIG THANK YOU to the Cape Canaveral Region for putting on such a great event!  Congratulations to all of our winners!! Click the above link to view the winners list.   Thank you to Andrew Mackey, Event Coordinator/Photographer for the American Muscle Car Museum, for sharing his drone video of the show – click here to watch!   And make sure to read the official recap article and photos in the May/June issue of Antique Automobile magazine.     Western Spring Nationals Results   THANK YOU to all of the volunteers, judges, staff, property staff, AACA Board and all of our wonderful members who participated in the show in Las Vegas, NV!    And a very special THANK YOU to the Las Vegas Region for hosting a great event!  Congratulations to all of our winners!! Click the above link to view the winners list.   Thank you to both Michael Fecchino and Joel Goldman for sharing a few of their photos from the event. Make sure to read the official recap article and photos in the May/June issue of Antique Automobile magazine.   We Want to Hear Your Feedback on the Annual Convention The Annual Convention Committee is always looking to improve your experience at convention. For those of you who attended the Annual Convention in Gettysburg this year, you know it was a little different than conventions in the past. In order to continue to improve and elevate this event, we need YOUR feedback. What did you like? What didn't you like? Which seminar was your favorite? What would you like to see at future conventions? The Annual Convention Survey is where you can voice your opinions about the event and know that it will be reviewed by the committee.   Attention All Attendees: Please click here to take a quick 10-minute survey online. If you would prefer to print a PDF copy of the survey and mail it back to us, click here.   Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete this survey. Your valuable feedback will help us continue to improve this event. The survey will close on April 15, 2022.   Volunteer Achievements: 2020-2021 in Review By Matthew Hocker, AACA Librarian, Cataloger & Volunteer Coordinator, mhocker@aaca.org   When most people imagine what it’s like to work at a library, the idea of a slow-paced day of sitting at the desk waiting for visitors is the first image that comes to mind. The reality for most libraries, especially the Chris & Kathleen Koch AACA Library, is that we function as factories of knowledge. In addition to serving our researchers, we are also constantly juggling these needs with processing incoming material, engaging in outreach efforts, and even organizing events to promote the library and our collection. Believe me when I say this – there is NEVER a shortage of work to do.   While the library’s collection is a phenomenal resource, it’s growth and usefulness depend on folks behind the scenes. In addition to full-time staff, the library has a dedicated team of volunteers who have proven to be a tremendous asset in processing material, assisting in research, and exchanging ideas. We have a dedicated crew of regulars and want to take the time to share with you their accomplishments in 2020 and 2021. If you happen to see one of our volunteers on your next visit, please take a moment to thank them for all they do to help keep the gears spinning at full speed!   2020 in Review: In 2019, volunteers contributed a total of 894 hours throughout the year. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 witnessed volunteer hours drop to 455 ½ hours. The year was off to a strong start, with most of those hours occurring until the shutdown in mid-March. Prior to the shutdown, one of our volunteers put in more than 163 hours scanning vintage automotive advertisements. They also contributed the most volunteer hours during 2020. Since they prefer to stay out of the limelight, I won’t mention any names but do want to thank them for the time and dedication to this monumental digitization project.   Bob and his wife Carole Terpak collectively logged more than 142 volunteer hours, with the bulk of their efforts being take-home projects while the library was still closed to the general public. When summer rolled around, Bob was itching to get back into the library. Since we were still closed, we had to get creative. Bob and his wife worked on projects from home, including sorting vintage advertisements and duplicate automotive sales literature.    It’s also worth pointing out one of our volunteers for 2020 was Amoi Goldman. In October of this year, we hired Amoi as our fulltime reference librarian!   2021 in Review: We started 2021 off in our new building and reopened to in-person volunteers by mid-January. While 2020 may have slowed us down, 2021 was a year of high productivity and significant accomplishments. Major projects included processing the former Free Library of Philadelphia Automobile Reference Collection, processing incoming donations, pulling off the first library fundraising event at our new location with Music & Motors, and our official grand opening to AACA members and the general public for Fall Hershey 2021.   The single greatest task of this year was processing the first half of the Automobile Reference Collection. With volunteer help, we added more than 4,000 owner’s manuals to our collection and replaced worn copies with those in better condition. We also cleared out the first of two storage rooms, which were stuffed full of thousands of automotive books, shop manuals, and periodicals. No stone was left unturned, and volunteers played a critical role in ensuring the speed and thoroughness on this first leg of the project. Their help has also been crucial in ensuring that the public gains access to this valuable documentation sooner than later.   Volunteers also helped the library during Fall Hershey week by staffing the library doors, allowing us to be open for in-person research throughout the week. Initially, we planned on only being open for self-guided tours, but it was our volunteers who made it possible to serve our members. In addition to serving as a second set of eyes, they also doubled as friendly ambassadors of the library by engaging with our visitors throughout the week.    By the end of the year, volunteers smashed records with the accumulation of more than 1,163 volunteer hours! Over the course of the year, four of our volunteers each contributed more than 100 hours of their time: Bob Terpak, Bruce Vaughn, Dan Reed, and Deb Colaniro. Together, they accounted for our core team of weekly volunteers and made a fundamental difference in processing the first half of the Automobile Reference Collection.  Volunteer with the Most Hours in 2021: Bob Terpak deserves special recognition with 445 hours, accounting for nearly half of all volunteer hours for 2021. Bob joined the library as a volunteer back in 2016 after we received the Don O’Reilly Racing Collection. More than five years later, he has remained a dedicated friend to the library, often coming in twice a week to help. Over the years, Bob has developed a keen eye for identifying tiny differences, and he played a critical role in identifying duplicate material and replacing poor copies with pieces in better condition. He has also repeatedly gone out of his way to connect duplicate items with prospective buyers, often building connections from home on his own time. Bob has become a valued member of the team, and we can’t thank him enough for the dedication and quality of his work.   You can Make a Difference: Given the circumstances, 2021 was a phenomenal year for the library and our success would not have been possible without the help of our volunteers. If you are interested in learning how you can help the library as a volunteer, please contact Cataloger & Volunteer Coordinator Matthew Hocker at 717-534-2082 or via email at mhocker@aaca.org. With the rest of 2022 on the horizon, we look forward to seeing where the future will take us!     Interested in doing research  with the AACA Library? More information is available on our website.  You can also visit the AACA Library or contact  our library director Chris Ritter at  critter@aaca.org or 717-534-2082.     Visit our Booth at Black Swan Antiquities     Pedal Car eBay Auction Benefitting  AACA & AACA Library   AACA is currently auctioning off a beautifully crafted pedal car built by Richard Childress’ race team as a benefit for the AACA and the AACA Library & Research Center. It is custom-built and a one-of-a-kind item. The pedal car was originally sold at auction by RM Auctions to benefit our organization and purchased for almost $3,500. The winning bidder generously donated the pedal car back to us to re-sell.   This pedal car is personally autographed by both Richard Childress and NASCAR driver Austin Dillon. For you NASCAR enthusiasts and fans of Austin Dillon/Richard Childress, it is a unique piece of memorabilia and you can be assured that this pedal car is truly one-of-a-kind.   If you are looking for a chance to own this rare piece of automobilia, you can place your bids on eBay. The auction ends on Sunday, April 3rd at 7 p.m. EDT, so keep your “bidding finger” ready to click that mouse button! The winning bid goes to support our charitable organization. The pedal car will be available for local pick up in Hershey, PA. However, if shipping is required, we will work with you to find the lowest cost option.    Click here to view the listing and make a bid.   Have You Checked Out the New and Improved AACA Website Yet? By Steve Moskowitz, CEO AACA National, aaca1@aaca.org Finally, the long-anticipated change to our website has happened. Our site has an all-new look, but most importantly the software is now compatible with most handheld devices. Our old site was not very friendly with cell phones and now that problem has been eradicated. We hope you find the site easier to view and easier to navigate.   However, www.aaca.org is not finished! We have additional plans for